


Gloriana's Consort

by TineMarie



Category: Victoria (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-06 09:04:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8743804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TineMarie/pseuds/TineMarie
Summary: The Queen is a strong, willful woman. She has made it clear that she will have no husband other than Lord Melbourne. And she will get her way.





	1. Proposal

It was of no great surprise that the Queen summoned him for a private counsel. It was also of no surprise that the moment after his lips left her hand she stated firmly:

“I shall not marry a foreign prince. I have made up my mind.”

Used to her forward ways, Melbourne merely gave a nod of his head. “Indeed, ma’am.”

“Our dynasty is merely a few generations out of Germany, and with Uncle Cumberland reigning in Hanover, the British people have a deep distrust of my blood. I do not blame them. With the French wars fresh in our memory there are too many foreign powers that would see our country added to their empires.” She folded her hands upon her skirt and looked up at him. “No, it shall not do. I will have a British husband.”

This gave him pause. His heart began to race, although Melbourne concealed it the best he could and nodded again. “If that’s what you wish, ma’am. Do you have any particular candidates in mind?”

She looked him straight in the eye and his racing heart suddenly stopped. “I think you know that I only have you in mind.”

His mouth fell open in surprise. Although he had been aware of her feelings and intentions for some time – and by God, his resolution to fight her on it had been slipping away – he could not believe that she was stating things so plainly. But would he expect anything else from his Queen?

Finally, he found his words. “Surely ma’am you know that I am not a suitable candidate- “

“-Yes,” she said, waving her hands as if to brush away his suggestion, “I know. Far too old, not royal enough, the list goes on. I’m not interested in it. If I am the Queen and I have such power, what is the point of having it if I cannot use it to marry a man that I love?”

Melbourne froze at the word _love_ , it being the first time she had used it towards him. However, she seemed unbothered by it and continued on – how long had she been mentally using it so that it gave her no pause? “If I can call a house a palace then surely I can choose my own husband. And I choose you.”

“Ma’am, surely there would be a great deal of protest at you marrying a man so far beneath your rank?”

She waved this away with her hands as well. “Tosh. I’ve decided that I shall elevate you to the position of Duke. The Duke of Melbourne has a particular ring to it, doesn’t it? Once you have a Dukedom, then I shall create you a Prince of the United Kingdom. And once you are a Prince you will be fit to marry a Queen.”

He had fallen back into silence, staring at her. The Queen was returning his gaze intently, as if she hadn’t just suggested they do something that completely threw all propriety and tradition out the window. She was also looking at him as though he were a bit dumb. “Well, do you have an answer for me?”

He couldn’t say that he did, with his mind still in a whirl. “I don’t believe you’ve actually asked me a question, ma’am.”

“Oh!” Her face flushed and instantly she was on her feet, right in front of him. She seized his hands in her own small ones; they barely covered his fingers. She gazed up at him with those wide eyes of hers, so earnest and shining full of hope. With just that one look he knew he was in trouble.

“I love and trust you more than anyone else in the world, Lord M. I am asking you to agree to become my husband and stand by my side.”

“I suspect it would be one step behind you, ma’am,” he managed to say and she laughed nervously. “Oh I’m sure we would be able to blur propriety for a bit. But what is your answer?”

He looked down at her small hands clutching onto his and found himself unable to speak. His mind and his heart were at war with one another, each pulling him in an opposite direction. On every level this entire situation was utterly illogical and he knew the consequences could be disastrous for both of them…Yet, when he was around her, his heart soared in a way that it never had before…

“William.” Her voice, so quiet and dear, brought him out of his reverie. “I know that what I suggest may seem impossible, but please know that I have set my heart upon this. I will have no other husband but you and I will do everything in my power to make our union a possibility.”

He was startled at her calling him by his Christian name. He knew in that instant that he wanted her to call him that every day for the rest of his life. But still logic screamed out at him and he knew that he would have to allow it one more chance, even if his resolve was weakening by the minute.

He drew her over to the window seat and sat down with her, their hands still clasped together. “Victoria,” he said softly and her entire face lit up at the sound of her name, “This will cause a great scandal will require absolute willpower from both of us to survive it. I would not allow you to put yourself in such a dangerous position unless you were fully aware of the risks.”

“I would have it no other way,” she said immediately, her face still alit with joy at hearing him call her by her name, “I would do anything to become your bride and have you by always by my side.”

She was so resolutely firm and he knew that her German stubborn streak was a mile wide. He also knew that he could never refuse her and that his own heart yearned for what she proposed. It was at that moment that his misgivings finally crumbled away.

“I will stand by you and protect you,” he said as he stroked her hand gently, “but as the sovereign you will be forced to bear the brunt of everything. Will you be able to withstand all the scrutiny?”

“You of all people should know how stubborn can be when I have my heart set upon something,” she said with a soft laugh and gripped his hands tightly. There were faint tears in her eyes that had not been there minutes before. “My dear William…Will you give me my heart’s desire, truly?”

He took a deep breath and drew her nearer to him. “You know that I could deny you nothing, ma’am.”

Instantly she burst into tears. He clutched her hands tighter in alarm and she laughed despite herself. “Oh my dearest Lord M – _William_ – you have made me the happiest woman in the world!”

He merely smiled and gently cradled her face in his hands, wiping away her tears. “I shall endeavour to do that until the end of my days, my dear.” He tilted her face up towards his and paused. “May I…?”

“Oh please,” she breathed and choked back a small sob, “I want nothing more.” Needing no other prompting he lowered his lips onto hers in the gentlest of kisses and felt his heart soar.

Her eyes were still closed when he pulled away and once she finally opened them she gazed up at him in such a devoted manner. “As your Queen,” she said nobly, “I command you to do that every day.”

He laughed and pulled her in so he could kiss her again. “I live to serve you in all ways, now and forever, ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a Victoria, and I had a Lord M in my life once. He broke my heart. So this is a bit of therapy for me, giving them a happy ending, while I heal and wait for perhaps my Albert to come along.


	2. Privy Council

“I am trying my best to appear severe,” she said to him as they walked down the halls towards the Privy Council chamber, “In case they will need some threatening to acquiesce to my heart’s desire.”

It gave him a small thrill to hear her refer to marrying him as her _heart’s desire_ and he chuckled softly. “I fear your height may impede your sternness, ma’am, but otherwise you are the picture of intimidation.”

He would secretly admit to being rather nervous himself about the whole thing. They would be dropping two large surprises upon the Privy Council together: he would be tendering his resignation as Prime Minister and she would be asking for approval of their engagement. He could only imagine the looks of surprise on the older member’s faces, like Peel or Wellington’s.

Well, perhaps not Wellington’s. After facing Napoleon, the man was impossible to shake.

“If they refuse to grant permission then I will threaten to abdicate,” she continued firmly, “And hopefully the prospect of dealing with Uncle Cumberland will persuade them otherwise.”

“Well it certainly would persuade me,” he responded with a smile, “But then again, it didn’t take much to persuade me to marry you, did it?”

She gave a shaky laugh. “Once you got over your noble self-sacrificing attitude it got much easier.” She paused before they got to the chamber and stared at the door for a moment. He could feel the unease rolling off her as she rocked on her heels, glancing back and forth down the corridor.  Seeing no one to spy on them she pulled him over into a corner where they would be hidden. “Oh William, I am afraid. What if they say no?”

He saw the fear in her eyes and knew that he had to act to prevent her nerves from getting the better of her. Taking advantage of their privacy he pulled her close to him, one arm on her back and the other to cusp the back of her head. She relaxed against him with a sigh, her head coming up just beneath his chin. He took great care to avoid disturbing the small crown upon her royal head as she clung to him desperately.

“You have convincing arguments for a home born husband and most of the men in there remember how unpopular your Uncle George was due to his behaviour over his unhappy marriage with his Queen. They will listen to reason.” He rubbed his hand against her back, deliberately allowing it to brush the bare skin of her back above her dress. She shivered in response. “I will be right at your side the entire time, as I always will be. And I can even go first, if that is what you would like.”

She laughed at that and he was pleased to see that she seemed a bit calmer. “Yes, I think I shall command you to do so. You must go first.”

“Who am I to disobey my sovereign?” He laughed as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly. He did it partly to remind her of what they were fighting for; the other part was to pour in courage and devotion that he could not voice and hope she would receive it in turn.

“I feel that they will be most concerned with what my title would be,” he said after a moment as he rubbed her arm a little more, feeling that she was still rather nervous, “If you recall your ancestress Queen Mary had a husband who insisted on becoming King alongside her. They might fear the same from me.”

“You would not want to be King William the fifth?” She asked with an arched eyebrow, and he laughed. “I cannot wait until I can stop being Prime Minister, why on earth would I want to become King?” He took her in his arms and rocked her back and forth a bit, trying to soothe her more. “No, I will be content spending my days walking behind you, holding your flowers, and doing whatever pleases you.”

She pulled away and looked up at him with a small smile creeping across her lips. “I can think of many ways you can please me, William.”

It was his turn to feel a shiver go through him and he tugged her back close against his chest, a little more roughly. She giggled but continued to stare at him with faint amusement until he bent down to kiss her once more: this time with more passion and fire. Showing a hint of the ways he would please her. He felt her make a small noise of pleasure and felt warmth ripple across his body in response.

“Besides,” he said as they broke away breathlessly, “they have to say yes as I’ve already acquired a ring that cannot go to waste.”

“You got me a ring?” she asked in wonderment. Since she had been the one to do the proposing – or perhaps more accurately, the commanding – such traditions had fallen by the wayside. “May I see it?”

“I’m afraid not, ma’am.” He said with a smile as he led her back towards the Privy Council chamber, “If they say no than I shall have to return it. This way I might save you some heart break if it comes to that.”

This response startled her into another peal of laughter and she slapped his arm in fake reproach. “Such spendthrift ways, Lord M!”

A page appeared to open the door and they two quickly composed themselves, putting their public faces on. As the herald announced their arrival to the Privy Council within, Melbourne fell into his customary pace behind her and clasped his hands firmly behind his back.

 As they walked forward he noticed her squaring her shoulders to prepare herself for battle. Seeing her small head in front of him with the dainty crown in place, raised high as a Queen should be, he stood up straighter to match her. No matter how their meeting went – he suspected that it would be a trial to get through to those men – he knew that his place would be here beside her, for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I received a crown for my birthday as a gift and I wear it whilst writing this, for research purposes.


End file.
